Agricultural Land Degradation and Government Response

The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare disclosed in a Rajya Sabha reply that while no specific assessment has been conducted on agricultural yield losses due to land degradation, the Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas of India (2021) published by Space Applications Centre (ISRO) reveals that 97.85 million hectares of land across India was under degradation as of 2018-19. This data shows Maharashtra as the second most affected state with 14.31 million hectares of degraded land, following Rajasthan which has the highest degradation at 21.24 million hectares.

State-wise Land Degradation Details

The annexure provides comprehensive state-wise data showing significant land degradation across multiple states: Gujarat (10.25 million hectares), Jharkhand (5.48 million hectares), Odisha (5.36 million hectares), Karnataka (6.96 million hectares), and Ladakh (7.11 million hectares). The total degraded area of 97.85 million hectares represents a substantial portion of India's agricultural land.

Government Initiatives for Soil Restoration and Climate Resilience

The government has implemented multiple measures to address land degradation and promote sustainable agriculture. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has developed location-specific technologies including contour cultivation, intercropping, crop rotation, conservation agriculture, mulching, green manuring, reduced tillage, and agroforestry. For salt-affected soils, ICAR recommends gypsum application, bio-drainage, subsurface drainage, salt-tolerant crop varieties, and bio-reclamation measures.

ICAR is implementing the National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) project across 651 districts, identifying 310 districts as vulnerable to climate change - 201 categorized as 'High' vulnerable and 109 as 'Very High' vulnerable. District Agriculture Contingency Plans have been prepared for all 651 districts, and climate-resilient technologies are being demonstrated in 448 Climate Resilient Villages across 151 vulnerable districts in 28 States/UTs. ICAR has released 2,900 crop varieties during 2014-2024, with 2,661 varieties tolerant to biotic and/or abiotic stresses.

Comprehensive Agricultural Development Programs

Multiple government schemes are operational including Per Drop More Crop for water use efficiency through micro irrigation, Rainfed Area Development scheme for Integrated Farming System, Soil Health and Fertility scheme for Integrated Nutrient Management, Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana for organic farming, and National Mission on Natural Farming. Additional missions focus on crop diversification including Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses, National Mission on Edible Oils - Oilseeds, and National Food Security & Nutrition Mission.

Insurance coverage is provided through Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme. Under Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission – Gramin (VB-G RAM-G), water conservation activities are prioritized through 110 Natural Resource Management works out of 318 permissible works. The Watershed Management Division implements the Watershed Development Component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (WDC-PMKSY) for developing rainfed and degraded lands through ridge area treatment, drainage line treatment, soil and moisture conservation, rainwater harvesting, and pasture development.

Agricultural Production Growth Despite Challenges

Despite biotic and abiotic stresses including land degradation, the agriculture sector has recorded sustained growth. Food grain production increased from 252.03 million tonnes in 2014-15 to a record 357.73 million tonnes in 2024-25, representing significant productivity improvement. Horticulture production also increased from 280.98 million tonnes in 2014-15 to 370.73 million tonnes in 2024-25, demonstrating the resilience and growth of agricultural production across the country.